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US declaring commitment to Israeli security while also working to prevent regional war, say officialsThe US is seeking to deter Iran from carrying out a retaliatory strike against Israel with concerted declarations of commitment to Israeli security, while at the same time trying to prevent the outbreak of a major regional war, officials in Washington have said.US officials still believe that a direct Iranian...

US military says second nighttime attack ‘designed to degrade the Houthis’ ability to attack maritime vessels’See all our Middle East crisis coverageIsrael accused South Africa of presenting a “profoundly distorted” view of hostilities, “barely distinguishable” from that of Hamas, as it presented its defence at the international court of justice in The Hague against accusations of genocide.My colleague, the Guardian’s legal affairs correspondent Haroon...

Armed forces minister James Heappey says action was self-defence after attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea by Houthi militantsSee all our Middle East crisis coverageLebanon’s powerful armed group Hezbollah has also reacted on Friday to the airstrikes and condemned them.Reuters says that the group has released a statement saying:The American aggression confirms once again that the US is a full partner in...

Israel has described the case as ‘preposterous’ and is set to defend itself; the international court of justice (ICJ) hears arguments alleging that Israel is committing genocide of Palestinians.See all of our updates on the conflict in the Middle East and the Israel-Gaza warThe United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) authority has posted to social media that it has received a report of a...

Attack with 21 drones and missiles by Iran-backed rebels comes despite planned UN security council vote on Wednesday to potentially demand halt to the assaultsSee all our Middle East crisis coverageThe Times of Israel reports that Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet will meet at 7pm tonight (5pm GMT) to discuss Israeli plans for the Gaza Strip when the war has finished.The Palestinian news agency Wafa...

Israel’s president criticises claim of genocide brought to international court of justiceHere is a photograph issued of the meeting between Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, and the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, in Tel Aviv.During the public portion of the meeting Herzog said a lawsuit filed in the international court of justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in its Gaza offensive was...

US secretary of state poised for meetings with leaders who have so far proved resistant to pressure from WashingtonThe US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has landed in Israel for potentially difficult meetings with Israeli leaders and officials who have repeatedly proved resistant to pressure from Washington over their conduct of the war against Hamas.Blinken flew late on Monday night from the Saudi oasis...

Escalation of violence comes as US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, and Europe’s Josep Borrell begin tours of the region• Middle East crisis – live updatesThe most senior diplomats from the US and the EU launched a dual diplomatic offensive in the Middle East on Saturday aimed at calming tensions that threaten chaos and wider conflict across the region.Antony Blinken, the US secretary of...

Hassan Nasrallah says assassination in Beirut has changed nature of his group’s conflict with Israel, raising fears of escalationMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe assassination of one of Hamas’s most senior officials in Beirut has changed the nature of the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, Hezbollah’s head, Hassan Nasrallah, has said, adding that a response is “inevitable”.In a second nationally televised address within three...

Arouri had talked with Hezbollah of ‘real victory’ over Israel after 7 October attacksThe killing of Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut is the first strike in a campaign of assassinations overseas promised by Israeli officials for several months.The target was carefully chosen – one of the most senior Hamas leaders and the organisation’s main link to Iran and the Lebanon-based militia Hezbollah. Arouri was also...

Officials’ warning echoes those of two ministers, as fighting with Hezbollah intensifies on boundaryIsrael-Gaza war: live updatesIsraeli officials have hinted that the “diplomatic hourglass” is running out to reach a negotiated solution to the escalating fighting on the boundary with Lebanon, even as the war in Gaza continues at a ferocious pace.Security sources said the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah fired the most rockets and...